Brainstorming Celtics trade ideas

It is very easy make vague statements like “the Celtics need to make trades at the upcoming NBA trade deadline.” I do it all the time. It sounds decisive without actually providing any specific guidance. In fact, I’ll admit that I’ll sometimes avoid suggesting specific trade ideas because the moment you throw a couple names out, all context and disclaimers get tossed aside and everyone focuses on that idea and how terrible it is.

It is very easy to shoot down other people’s ideas. We’re all hypothetical gunslingers with a hair trigger and little regard for the feelings of the person proposing the ideas.

Well, it feels like time for me to stand up before the firing squad and take my bullets like a man. I’m perfectly aware that only 8.4% of you are even reading this preamble. Everyone else has already skipped to the ideas and on to the comments section to give me grief. That’s all part of the fun though. Maybe someday I’ll slip in a recipe for a nice casserole dish just to see if anyone’s paying attention. Feel free to share your own favorites in the comments below and wait for the puzzled replies.

Anyway, I tried to come up with these ideas on my own. Any similarities to other people’s ideas are coincidental (as far as you know). I labelled this “Brainstorming” on purpose because these are all negotiable and I don’t claim to be an expert on every player across the league and each team’s financial situations and development status.

Final disclaimer: All of these are merely trade ideas. Not rumors. Use at your own risk.

Ok, on to the ideas.

Dennis Schröder ideas:

• Schröder to the Mavericks for 2 second round picks: Ironically this can happen because of the TPE created in the Josh Richardson trade. (note: this works for any team with a TPE or cap space big enough to absorb his salary)
• Schröder and a 1st rounder to the Cavalierss for Collin Sexton: The Cavs don’t have to pay him in the offseason.
• Schröder to the Lakers for Kendrick Nunn: Because it would make me laugh and laugh.
• Schröder and Enes Freedom to the Pacers for TJ McConnell: This assumes they trade one of their centers and want to get some backup depth.

Al Horford ideas:

• Horford, Romeo Langford, and 1st rounder to the Kings for Harrison Barnes and Marvin Bagley: Horford lets the Kings get off some money this summer and they pick up a pick and a look at Romeo.
• Horford and Romeo to the Jazz for Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic: The Jazz have been shopping Ingles and get a solid backup center. Plus Danny Ainge loves Romeo.
• Horford and either Romeo or Nesmith to the Blazers for CJ McCollum: The Blazers get off of CJ’s money and pick up a prospect in the process.
• Horford to the Spurs for Thad Young and Doug McDermott: The Spurs can cut some money this summer and the Celtics get some more shooting.

Josh Richardson ideas:

• Richardson to Pistons for Kelly Olynyk
• Richardson to the Suns for the injured Dario Saric: We get a look at him next year, they get immediate help. As a bonus, we save $3M (that we could use to add salary elsewhere).
• Richardson to the Jazz for Joe Ingles: Theoretically, we get a shooter but ironically Josh is shooting better than Joe this year.

The Big One:

• Horford, Richardson, and a 1st rounder to the Blazers for Jusuf Nurkić, Norm Powell, and Larry Nance: Portland clears their cap this summer, the Celtics get an injection of quality veterans at multiple positions.

The other elephant in the room is the potential to trade Marcus Smart, but frankly I don’t have the heart to even consider that right now.

Ok, give me your worst. I’m ready for it.

Then when you are done making fun of my ideas, feel free to share your own, ...if you dare.